by Belinda Simon

Created on: June 14, 2010

Jane Greenoff, founder and Managing Director of The Cross Stitch Guild, wrote her first cross-stitch book in 1987 after four years of designing and selling her own cross-stitch kits. “The Cross Stitcher’s Bible” was first published in the year 2000 and has been reprinted several times since then.

This paperback book of approximately A5 size explains how to work cross-stitch and includes instructions on creating many cross-stitch embroidery projects using full color photographs, graphs, and suggested materials. As well as cross-stitch, “The Cross Stitcher’s Bible” has clear instructions and photographs on how to stitch nearly forty related stitches including backstitch and French knots.

“The Cross Stitcher’s Bible” begins with instructions on how to use the book. In here it explains how the three different sections of the first half of the book have color-coded pages to help identify the section you need quickly and easily. These sections are “Getting Started”, “Creative Options”, and “Exploring Choices”.

“Getting Started”

This section shows how to read cross-stitch charts, what equipment is needed, how to choose and manage threads, a linen master class, and starting to stitch. In the “starting to stitch” chapter, Jane Greenoff explains how and where to start cross-stitching, how to calculate the design size using different fabrics, how to outline using backstitch, and how to finish off.

“Creative Options”

After learning the basics of getting started in cross-stitch, this section explains how to use different fabrics, including double canvas and even weave fabrics, using waste canvas and stitching on stitching paper. Here you will find instructions on three dimensional cross stitch, using space-dyed threads, combining flower thread and stranded cotton, and using metallic threads and blending filaments to enhance your embroidery projects.

“Exploring Choices”

A feature of  “The Cross Stitcher’s Bible” is the way Jane Greenoff encourages the cross-stitcher’s creativity. In this section she shows how to embellish your cross-stitch with beads, buttons, and charms, and how to finish your project. In here you will also learn how to use silk ribbon to add another texture to your embroidery. She also explains how to do blackwork embroidery and includes several blackwork patterns to try.

This section also shows how to work Assisi embroidery and pulled and drawn thread embroidery. This is where you will discover how to adapt cross-stitch kits to your individual taste and to personalize your work. Here it provides tips on what to look for when buying computer-aided designing software and how to begin designing your own projects.

The second half of the book contains directions for working nearly forty related stitches, with accompanying color photographs of the worked stitches and diagrams using a numbered sequence.

Following the “stitch library” Jane Greenoff provides a “motif library” with color graphs of many of the examples illustrated in the book. She includes the DMC and Anchor thread shade selections she used in her examples. Although the charts are in color, the symbols are printed in black, enabling you to photocopy and enlarge the designs if you wish.

“The Cross Stitcher’s Bible” is a practical manual for the cross-stitch beginner and enthusiast. By keeping it in your workbox you are sure to refer to it again and again.

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